Joe Burrow has been labelled as injury-prone this 2025-2026 season. However, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who literally makes his living by tackling people, has now gone vocal and indicated that Burrow is actually the toughest QB to play in the whole league. And Warner is not the kind of fellow to shower compliments without reason. He has supported it with a story that illustrates his argument.

The 49ers’ highest-paid linebacker (following his three-year, $63 million contract extension signed in May 2025) revealed a specific on-field moment that perfectly captures why he holds Burrow in such regard.

During a game where the two squared off, Warner delivered what he described as a devastating hit in the open field, one where he admittedly “didn’t even let up.” What followed was the startling moment: Burrow simply popped up, shook it off, and praised Warner’s tackle like it was a routine play.

“He’s just a dog. Like, he just, for whatever reason, I don’t know. His makeup is different than a lot of these guys in this league. And so my hat’s off to him. You talk about competitive spirit, he’s got it through and through. And you can see why guys rally around him, and it’s something that makes him special, is that he’s got that dog in him. Some guys got it, some guys don’t.” Warner said in the video.

Joe Burrow’s fight through turf toe

Warner’s praise is particularly striking given Burrow’s recent injury. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback sustained a Grade 3 turf toe injury in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in September 2025 and had to undergo surgery, and thus missed most of the regular season.

Medical estimates reported by Sky Sports indicated that he would have been out until December because the projections had indicated a three-month recovery period. Yet Burrow’s rehab timeline shattered those expectations, which would have sidelined him until December.

By mid-November, NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that Burrow was progressing two months ahead of schedule, already participating in 7-on-7 drills and texting that he “felt great.”

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The Bengals were still hoping that Joe Burrow would play the last three regular-season games, despite being excluded from the playoffs, as Zac Taylor explained to ESPN. The Bengals lost eight of their nine games without Burrow (1-8 overall in his absence), a particularly savage stretch that highlights his significance to the team. It is also to be noted that Burrow’s injury impacted the Pro Bowl roster too.

Just days before Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve, Burrow switched back into his regular cleats. The cleat swap does signal real progress.

While Burrow is not fully recovered, he is able to put in some work in the games.  When asked about his mobility, Burrow said, “Certainly not as mobile as I have been in the past, but mobile enough to make a couple plays every game.”